Cosmetic applicator

ABSTRACT

A cosmetic applicator for applying a cosmetic or care product includes a stem having a vertical axis and a roller rotatably and pivotably connected to the bottom end of the stem such that the roller pivots around the vertical axis and rotates around a horizontal axis transverse to the vertical axis.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent App. Ser. No. 62/879,068, filed on Jul. 26, 2019, titled COSMETIC APPLICATOR, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a cosmetic applicator for applying a flowable cosmetic or pharmaceutical product, in particular a liquid, viscous or semi-viscous liquid, an emulsion, a gel or a suspension, to a surface, in particular to a biological surface, for example skin of the human body. More particularly, the present disclosure generally relates to a cosmetic applicator with a roller.

BACKGROUND

Cosmetic applicators such as dip or wand applicators are known in the cosmetic industry. Cosmetic packages often include such applicators for dispensing a particular cosmetic contained in the package reservoir. The cosmetic applicator generally includes a stem with a cap at one end and an applicator head in the form of a brush, spatula or other applicator structure suitable for applying a cosmetic or a care product including viscous cosmetics, mascara, eye liner, lip gloss, hair color, wound care, skin care, under eye cosmetics, pharmaceutical and like products.

One such applicator is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,331,085 for applying and transporting a quantity of cosmetic product to a user's skin. The applicator comprises a generally cylindrical elastomeric tip with a long axis, the tip including a distal end portion having a distal extremity with at least one material-holding concavity formed therein, and said concavity having a rim. As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,481,591 discloses an applicator comprising a rod and an application surface formed of a plurality of cones. These cones have a certain elasticity and movability and can therefore massage the cosmetic product, which is stored between the plurality of cones, onto the user's skin.

While such applicators are generally satisfactory, there still exists a need for a cosmetic applicator for applying a satisfactory amount of a cosmetic product to a biological surface.

SUMMARY

This disclosure provides design, material, manufacturing methods, and use alternatives for cosmetic packaging.

In one illustrative and non-limiting example, an applicator for applying a product to a surface may comprise a stem having a top end, a bottom end, and a vertical axis extending therebetween, and a roller rotatably and pivotably connected to the bottom end of the stem such that the roller pivots around the vertical axis and rotates around a horizontal axis transverse to the vertical axis.

Alternatively or additionally to any of the above examples, the cosmetic applicator may further comprise a swivel holder rotatably connected to the bottom end of the stem, wherein the roller is rotatably connected to the swivel holder, wherein the swivel holder rotates around the vertical axis of the stem.

Alternatively or additionally to any of the above examples, the swivel holder rotates at least 45 degrees relative to the stem.

Alternatively or additionally to any of the above examples, the roller is elongated along a horizontal axis transverse to the vertical axis of the stem.

Alternatively or additionally to any of the above examples, the roller is a sphere.

Alternatively or additionally to any of the above examples, the roller is constructed at least partially from a thermal storage material.

Alternatively or additionally to any of the above examples, the thermal storage material is ceramic, glass, stone, metal, or a metal alloy.

Alternatively or additionally to any of the above examples, an outer surface of the roller is flocked.

Alternatively or additionally to any of the above examples, a cross section of the stem taken transverse to the vertical axis is not round.

Alternatively or additionally to any of the above examples, the cosmetic applicator may further comprise a cap connected to the top end of the stem.

Alternatively or additionally to any of the above examples, the stem is rotatably connected to the cap.

Alternatively or additionally to any of the above examples, rotation of the stem relative to the cap is independent of rotation of the swivel holder relative to the stem.

Alternatively or additionally to any of the above examples, the cosmetic package may comprise a cosmetic applicator as in any of the above examples and a container for holding a cosmetic product, the container having a closed bottom end and an open top end, wherein the stem and roller are configured to be inserted into the container and the cap is configured to releasably connect with the open top end of the container.

Alternatively or additionally to any of the above examples, the cosmetic applicator may further comprise a wiper disposed within the container adjacent the open top end, the wiper configured for removing excess product from the roller while the stem is removed from the container.

In another illustrative and non-limiting example, a cosmetic package may comprise a container for holding a cosmetic product, the container having a closed end and an open end, an applicator configured to extend into the container, the applicator including a stem having a top end, a bottom end, and a vertical axis extending therebetween, and an elongated roller rotatably and pivotably connected to the bottom end of the stem such that the roller pivots around the vertical axis and rotates around a horizontal axis transverse to the vertical axis, and a cap connected to the top end of the stem, the cap configured to releasably connect with the open end of the container.

Alternatively or additionally to any of the above examples, the cosmetic package may further comprise a swivel holder pivotably coupled to the bottom end of the stem, the swivel holder configured to hold the roller and allow the roller to rotate.

Alternatively or additionally to any of the above examples, the stem is rotatably connected to the cap.

Alternatively or additionally to any of the above examples, rotation of the stem relative to the cap is independent of rotation of the swivel holder relative to the stem.

Alternatively or additionally to any of the above examples, a cross section of the stem taken transverse to the vertical axis is not round.

In a further illustrative and non-limiting example, a cosmetic applicator for applying a product to a surface may comprise a stem having a top end, a bottom end, and a central vertical axis extending therebetween, a swivel holder rotatably connected to the bottom end of the stem, and a roller rotatably connected to the swivel holder, wherein rotation of the swivel holder relative to the stem is independent of rotation of the roller relative to the swivel holder.

The above summary of some example embodiments is not intended to describe each disclosed embodiment or every implementation of the present disclosure. The Figures, and Detailed Description, which follow, more particularly exemplify these embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other aspects of the present invention are best understood from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, some embodiments are shown in the drawings, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the specific instrumentalities disclosed. Included in the drawings are the following Figures:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a cosmetic package;

FIG. 2 shows the cosmetic package of FIG. 1 with the applicator removed from the container;

FIG. 3 shows the applicator of FIG. 2 with the roller in a pivoted configuration;

FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of the cosmetic package of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 shows a cross-section view of the cosmetic package of FIG. 1;

To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the disclosure may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description should be read with reference to the drawings wherein the like reference numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views. The description and drawings show several embodiments which are meant to be illustrative in nature. For convenience, the present disclosure may be described using relative terms including, for example, left, right, top, bottom, front, back, upper, lower, up, and down, as well as others. It is to be understood that these terms are merely used for illustrative purposes and are not meant to be limiting in any manner.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example cosmetic package 10. The cosmetic package 10 comprises a container 20 for holding a cosmetic product and a cap 30. FIG. 2 illustrates the cap 30 and its attached applicator 15 removed from the container 20. The cosmetic package 10 according to one embodiment of the disclosure may be used to contain and apply the product (not shown) including a cosmetic or a care product. The cosmetic or care product may include viscous, semi-viscous or liquid cosmetics such as foundation, concealer, eye shadow, lip gloss, hair color, skin care, pharmaceuticals and like products. The container 20 may have an open top end 22 (shown in FIG. 4) with a collar 26 and wiper 28 disposed therein, and a closed bottom end 24. The container is configured for holding the cosmetic product. The applicator 15 is coupled to the cap 30 and may include a stem 40, roller 50, and holder 60.

As shown in FIG. 3, the top end 41 of the stem 40 is coupled to the cap 30 and the bottom end 42 of the stem 40 is coupled to the holder 60. The holder 60 holds the roller 50 while allowing the roller 50 rotate freely in either direction around a horizontal axis Y-Y that is transverse to a vertical axis X-X extending between the top end 41 and bottom end 42 of the stem 40. Rotation of the roller 50 is indicated by arrow 51 in FIG. 3. The holder 60 may be a swivel holder rotatably coupled to the bottom end 42 of the stem 40 such that the holder 60 pivots around the vertical axis X-X extending through the stem 40. Pivoting of the holder 60 is indicated by arrow 61 in FIG. 3. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the stem 40 has a cross-section, taken transverse to the axis X-X, that is not round. The stem 40 may have a cross-section that is oval, elliptical, rectangular, square, or any other geometric shape. In other examples, the cross-section may be round.

In some examples, the holder 60 may rotate from a first position in which the outer surface of the holder 60 is flush with the outer surface of the stem 40, as shown in FIG. 2, to a second position in which the holder 60 is pivoted relative to the stem 40, shown in FIG. 3. Such pivoting may allow free rotation or may be limited in its extent. In some examples, the holder 60 may be pivoted up to 45 degrees relative to the stem 40. In other examples, the holder 60 may be pivoted up to 90 degrees relative to the stem 40. In further examples, the holder 60 may be pivoted up to 180 degrees relative to the stem 40. In still further examples, the holder 60 may be pivoted up to 360 degrees relative to the stem 40.

The exploded view in FIG. 4 and cross-sectional view in FIG. 5 show the elements of an example cosmetic package 10. The container 20 may include a collar 26 disposed at the open top end 22. The collar 26 may have a connection feature configured to engage a matching connection feature on an inner surface of the cap 30. As illustrated, the collar 26 has external threading.

In some embodiments, the container further includes a wiper 28 disposed within the container adjacent the open end. The wiper 28 is configured to remove excess product from the roller 50 while the stem 40 is removed from the container 20. In an example the wiper 28 may have an oval opening at the lower end thereof to generally match the outer profile of the stem 40, while having a circular upper end. For other stem shapes, such as rectangular or square, the wiper 28 may be differently shaped to match the stem. In other examples, a standard wiper shape, that is, circular on each end, may be used instead.

In other examples, the container 20 is devoid of any wiper structure. In such an example, any excess product may be drained as the applicator 15 is removed from the container 20. Alternatively, the roller 50 may be pressed or wiped against the inside surface of the collar 26 as the applicator 15 is removed from the container 20.

The roller 50 may be elongated along the horizontal axis, as shown in FIG. 4. In some examples, the roller 50 rotates around a pin 52 held at opposite ends by the holder 60. The holder 60 may have a post 62 that fits into a recess in the bottom end 42 of the stem 40 and allows the holder 60 to swivel relative to the stem 40. In other examples, the roller 50 may be spherical or elliptical, with or without a holding pin 52. In some examples, the outer surface of the roller 50 may be smooth, flocked, or covered with fabric. In other examples, the outer surface of the roller 50 may include projections, ribs, grooves, discs, slits, cuts, holes, dimples, or other surface features or surface treatments (e.g., abrading) that are suitable for loading, transporting and applying cosmetic product.

In some examples, the roller 50 may be constructed at least partially from a thermal storage material, such as ceramic, glass, stone, metal, metal alloy, or composites thereof, whether natural or synthetic, capable of retaining and transferring heat or cold for a period of time. Some example metals that may be used include, without limitation, stainless steel, aluminum, zinc, magnesium, tin, nickel, titanium, steel, tin, copper, brass, platinum, gold, and silver, and alloys, such as ZAMAK. Stone materials that may be used include, without limitation, any stone, rock, mineral, ore, gemstone, imitation gemstone, glass stone (including naturally occurring and man-made forms of glass), volcanic stone, coral stone, metallic stone or ore, magnetic stone, concrete, or composites thereof, whether synthetic or naturally occurring.

The cap 30 may include an inner cap 32 fixed within the cap 30 and configured to be coupled to the stem 40. The top end 41 of the stem 40 may be fixed to the inner cap 32 against rotation. In other examples, the stem 40 may be rotatably coupled to the cap 30, such as with a ring 44. The ring 44 may be disposed over the top end 41 of the stem 40 and may have a snap engagement with the inner cap 32, allowing the stem 40 to rotate relative to the cap 30. Rotation of the stem 40 relative to the cap 30 may be independent of rotation of the holder 60 relative to the stem 40, and rotation of the roller 50. The independent rotation of the stem 40, holder 60, and roller 50 provides improved control for application of the cosmetic product. For example, when the user holds the cap 30, the independent rotation of the stem 40, holder 60, and roller 50 allows the user to easily apply a cosmetic product to many angles and planes of the face or body.

The container 20 may be made of, for example, be polypropylene while the cap 30 and the stem 40, holder 60, and roller 50 may be formed of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or any other suitable polymeric material. The stem 40, holder 60, and roller 50 may be formed of polyacetal or any other suitable polymeric material. The material for forming the wiper 28, if present, may be low-density polyethylene, foam, sponge, sintered block, aggregate of natural or synthetic fibers, woven or non-woven fibers, plastic, or a combination of such materials. The aforementioned materials for forming various parts of the cosmetic package 10 of the present disclosure are an example, however other suitable materials may also be used.

In some embodiments, the cosmetic package 10 including any of the container 20, cap 30, applicator 15 and their associated parts, may be made from any suitable clear or colored material such as, for example, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), synthetic polymer, partially of a resin such as, for example, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), styrene acrylonitrile (SAN), pentachlorothioanisole (PCTA), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET, PETE, PETG), polyurethane, thermoplastics, thermosets, plastic, rubber, silicone, nylon, ceramic, glass, metal, alloys, or composite material, and/or combinations thereof. The term “plastic” may also or instead mean any synthetic resin suitable for the purpose such as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or glass reinforced polypropylene (PPG) clear thick walled plastic. If glass, the glass jar may be double walled. Moreover, various elements may be made of any combination of substantially clear, substantially opaque, and/or translucent materials. Natural materials as wood, stone or leather may be used as well for decorative or other purposes. The materials may be rigid or semi-rigid. In some embodiments, the container 20 may comprise a transparent or translucent material so that the cosmetic product within may be externally viewed.

In the event of inconsistent usages between this document and any documents so incorporated by reference, the usage in this document controls. In this document, the terms “a” or “an” are used, as is common in patent documents, to include one or more than one, independent of any other instances or usages of “at least one” or “one or more” unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. Moreover, in the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects. The above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. As used in the above description and the appended claims, the term “or” is generally employed in its sense including “and/or” unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.

The above detailed description should be read with reference to the drawings in which similar elements in different drawings are numbered the same. The drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. These embodiments are also referred to herein as “examples.” Such examples can include elements in addition to those shown or described. However, the present inventors also contemplate examples in which only those elements shown or described are provided. Moreover, the present inventors also contemplate examples using any combination or permutation of those elements shown or described (or one or more aspects thereof), either with respect to a particular example (or one or more aspects thereof), or with respect to other examples (or one or more aspects thereof) shown or described herein. For example, the above examples (or one or more aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. Other embodiments can be used, such as by one of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing the above description.

The Abstract is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b), to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Although the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous changes and modifications may be made to the preferred embodiments of the invention and that such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the true spirit of the invention. It is therefore intended that the appended claims be construed to cover all such equivalent variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A cosmetic applicator for applying a product to a surface, comprising: a stem having a top end, a bottom end, and a vertical axis extending therebetween; and a roller rotatably and pivotably connected to the bottom end of the stem such that the roller pivots around the vertical axis and rotates around a horizontal axis transverse to the vertical axis.
 2. The cosmetic applicator of claim 1, further comprising a swivel holder rotatably connected to the bottom end of the stem, wherein the roller is rotatably connected to the swivel holder, wherein the swivel holder rotates around the vertical axis of the stem.
 3. The cosmetic applicator of claim 2, wherein the swivel holder rotates at least 45 degrees relative to the stem.
 4. The cosmetic applicator of claim 1, wherein the roller is elongated along a horizontal axis transverse to the vertical axis of the stem.
 5. The cosmetic applicator of claim 1, wherein the roller is a sphere.
 6. The cosmetic applicator of claim 1, wherein the roller is constructed at least partially from a thermal storage material.
 7. The cosmetic applicator of claim 6, wherein the thermal storage material is ceramic, glass, stone, metal, or a metal alloy.
 8. The cosmetic applicator of claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the roller is flocked.
 9. The cosmetic applicator of claim 1, wherein a cross section of the stem taken transverse to the vertical axis is not round.
 10. The cosmetic applicator of claim 2, further comprising a cap connected to the top end of the stem.
 11. The cosmetic applicator of claim 10, wherein the stem is rotatably connected to the cap.
 12. The cosmetic applicator of claim 11, wherein rotation of the stem relative to the cap is independent of rotation of the swivel holder relative to the stem.
 13. A cosmetic package, comprising: a cosmetic applicator as in claim 10, and a container for holding a cosmetic product, the container having a closed bottom end and an open top end, wherein the stem and roller are configured to be inserted into the container and the cap is configured to releasably connect with the open top end of the container.
 14. The cosmetic applicator of claim 13, further comprising a wiper disposed within the container adjacent the open top end, the wiper configured for removing excess product from the roller while the stem is removed from the container.
 15. A cosmetic package comprising: a container for holding a cosmetic product, the container having a closed end and an open end; an applicator configured to extend into the container, the applicator including a stem having a top end, a bottom end, and a vertical axis extending therebetween, and an elongated roller rotatably and pivotably connected to the bottom end of the stem such that the roller pivots around the vertical axis and rotates around a horizontal axis transverse to the vertical axis; and a cap connected to the top end of the stem, the cap configured to releasably connect with the open end of the container.
 16. The cosmetic package of claim 15, further comprising a swivel holder pivotably coupled to the bottom end of the stem, the swivel holder configured to hold the roller and allow the roller to rotate.
 17. The cosmetic package of claim 16, wherein the stem is rotatably connected to the cap.
 18. The cosmetic package of claim 17, wherein rotation of the stem relative to the cap is independent of rotation of the swivel holder relative to the stem.
 19. The cosmetic package of claim 15, wherein a cross section of the stem taken transverse to the vertical axis is not round.
 20. A cosmetic applicator for applying a product to a surface, comprising: a stem having a top end, a bottom end, and a central vertical axis extending therebetween; a swivel holder rotatably connected to the bottom end of the stem; and a roller rotatably connected to the swivel holder, wherein rotation of the swivel holder relative to the stem is independent of rotation of the roller relative to the swivel holder. 